University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Promotes Michele Levine, PhD, to Professor of Psychiatry
We are delighted to announce that Michele Levine, PhD, has been promoted to Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Dr. Levine completed her PhD and postdoctoral research training in clinical psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds secondary appointments in the Department of Psychology and in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, and received conferral of tenure in 2020.
Dr. Levine is highly regarded as an expert in the intersection of mood, weight, and health behaviors, particularly in women. She currently leads or co-leads three National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grants: a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) sequential multiple assignment randomized trial investigating perinatal lifestyle interventions designed to optimize health from pregnancy through the first postpartum year; an NHLBI grant investigating preconception and prenatal stress effects on cardiovascular disease risk in Black women; and a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases R01 focused on investigating the role of impulsive phenotypes on the weight trajectories and response to behavioral interventions during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Dr. Levine is a fellow of the Obesity Society and of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. She has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Obesity and Contemporary Clinical Trials, and was invited serve as a report reviewer for the United States Preventative Series task force on intervention for tobacco cessation. In addition, Dr. Levine contributed to the NIH Center for Scientific Review anonymization project, which developed strategies to increase diversity in funded studies.
Dr. Levine leads the Department’s American Psychological Association-accredited Clinical Psychology Internship Program, as well as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded Clinical Research Training for Psychologists T32 postdoctoral training program. As director of the Clinical Psychology Internship program, she has overseen the incorporation of required cultural humility training, which provides in-depth and meaningful learning opportunities that foster interns’ cultural competencies for improving patient care, enhancing scientific research, and increasing advocacy for social justice.
“Dr. Levine has made tremendous contributions to the field of perinatal physical and mental health,” said David Lewis, MD (Chair, Department of Psychiatry). “Moreover, she is one of the most influential educators in our Department, overseeing clinical psychology training for both graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Dr. Levine is admired and respected by both colleagues and mentees, and her many achievements have greatly enhanced the Department’s research and training programs.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Levine!